BUCHAREST OPERA HOUSE

The first news about opera music in Romania dates from 1772 when Livio Cinti's "operists" are reported to have passed through Buchareston their way to Sibiu where they settled down.

The one to be the soul of this activity and who was to become the creator of the national opera, was the composer, conductor andsinging teacher George Stephanescu. Graduate of the Bucharest Academy of Music, then of the Paris one, in 1877 Stephanescu isappointed conductor of the National Theatre Orchestra and singing teacher at the Academy of Music. While training the singers in theAcademy of Music he aims at developing gradually the musical repertoire of the National Theatre from vaudevilles to musical comedies and finally to opera.

In very short time, Bucharest became the center of a buoyant opera life. Nevertheless, in 1902, the opera section of the Bucharest National Theatre was compelled to cease all activity as, for reasons of economy; its subvention was cut off. In spite of this considerable difficulty, the opera activity went on in the same rhythm in the Romanian capital.

Grouped in various societies and associations, the Romanian artists staged regular opera seasons - even during the refuge in Jassy in the first World War. Forcing itself as a cultural requirement which could no more be overlooked, in 1921 the first ROMANIAN OPERA wascreated as an independent institution, when, the war being ended, the State took over the "Lyrical Opera Society" grounded by the artists.The 8-th of December 1921 the new institution inaugurated the performances with Lohengrin conducted by George Enescu and staged by Adalbert Markowski.

Very many famous artists of great gift carry on their activity in this space, which for a couple of year, has become a national institution. They are numerous and we cannot mention all of them here. They ensure the continuity of a sparkling tradition every night.